Yorkshire Xaturalists at Biickden. 



reported seeing- a Teal and a flock of Golden Plovers on the 

 moors, and another party came across several Curlew and 

 Black-headed Gulls. Numerous Herons were also seen and 

 would probably belong- to the heronry near Gargrave. 



From a conversation with the intelligent gamekeeper (Mr. 

 Thomas Camidge) we feel certain that the Greater Spotted and 

 the Lesser Spotted Woodpeckers occur in the Deer Park Wood. 

 This latter will be a very interesting record if it can be verified. 

 We noticed the borings of the Woodpeckers on the trees, but 

 were not fortunate enough to meet with either species. The 

 Coal Titmouse and Marsh Titmouse were both met with. 



Quite a feature of the visit was the number of House 

 Martins' nests on the steep face of Kilnsey Crag. They are 

 rapidly increasing yearly in numbers, and perhaps these cliff- 

 building House Martins may partly account for the decreasing 

 numbers noticed in the suburbs of our larger towns during 

 recent years. Two of our number endeavoured to count the 

 nests on the face of the Crag, and came to the conclusion that 

 there would be at the least 150 nests. The tenanted nests were 

 properly domed and quite typical, and not ' open ' nests, as has 

 been asserted elsewhere. 



Other birds of the same species were breeding quite freely 

 under the eaves of the houses in the surrounding villages — in 

 fact, I never remember seeing more House Martins in a single 

 day, excepting, of course, when they are migrating. 



No particular look-out was kept for mammals, and the 

 Squirrel, Rabbit, Hedge-hog, and Stoat (rather abundant), 

 together with the graceful herd of Fallow Deer in the park, 

 were apparently the only species noticed. 



Apart from this excursion it is worth recording that the 

 g-amekeeper shot one of a pair of Ravens on the moor near 

 Buckden about the end of May of this year. He gave it to the 

 driver of the mail-cart (Paul Kelly, of Skipton), who had it set 

 up. Mr. Ross Butterfield called to see this bird on his way 

 home, and reports it a very fine bird, though scarcely mature. 

 During the summer of 1903 a Hooded Crow was noticed in this 

 district, and on 22nd May of this year one was shot near 

 Grassington, which on dissection proved to be a female. 

 Another was noticed about the same time. 



It should be worth repeating that a Golden Eagle was killed 

 by the river watcher at Starbotton two years ago. It was 

 stuffed in Bradford and is now in Kettlewell. It was apparently 

 a bird of the third year, and when killed was in a very emaciated 



1904 September i. 



